Tag Archives: Lunch

I bet you think I’ve fallen into a large hole around here and have lost internet access, huh?

Well, I have, kind of.

School started. Just last year I had 135 students a day (5 classes/high school) and this year? Oh no… this year I see 171 students (same five classes) and it’s A LOT. Add that to the fact that the baby youngest toddler is a moving, shaking, running, jumping, climbing and the eldest is well…. keeping up and you can see why I’m dead tired by dinner time.

We’re back on the treadmill people. Up at 5:15, home by 5:00, dinner, play, baths, and bedtime…then school work. Bedtime comes around 11:40 or later. Seriously…this is going to be a long winter!

Top that with the fact that our house, just like yours I bet, has been hit by our lovely economic woes. Thankfully, we are both employed. However the loss of pay in the form of pay cuts (8% between the two of us) and double to out-of-pocket expenses for health insurance (EEK!) and we are in re-set mode.

We are intentional about the food choices we make. More than ever now as well. We have to stretch that dollar farther and we are still choosing to maintain a completely gluten free home. But as all of you know, that means some serious creativity.

Couple all of that with the fact that time to cook dinner is LIMITED. Kids (and parents alike) are wickedly hungry come 5:30. Providing snacks before dinner doesn’t seem like a positive solution at all. We worry that then we are just giving them outs from dinner – and we want to eat all together as a family. THAT is important to us.

So.. I guess this post is a conversation starter. One that I hope will get you all commenting and helping with tips and pointers for ALL of us busy, working gluten-free families. What are YOU doing to save your brain, your money and your family (health and time together)?

Home-made GF Quesadillas – add eggs or avocado, etc too

See recipe below signature

I have limited tricks for getting dinner on the table quickly. This has a lot to do with my brain. I am NOT the one in my family who can open the cupboard, see what we have on hand and then whip out dinner. Nope. Especially not when there are two kids practically pulling my pants off as they try to get my attention after we rush in after work/daycare at 5PM. And, I don’t do mania very well at all. (Can you believe I do mania REALLY well in the classroom – but just not at home? I don’t get it either – but it is true.)

Sometimes I am organized enough on the weekend to layout a dinner menu for the week. I get organized after we pick up our box of veggies at the Farmer’s Market on Sundays and start planning. Each meal we have to include things that are accessible to the kids – as I’m not a short-order cook and we’re going to all eat together. Sometimes we make miso soup for them (they LOVE tofu) in addition to whatever we are having, but they usually just eat right along with us. Once I see what we have for the week, I can easily lay out dinner menus on the calendar at home (or the google calendar we share so I can see it on my phone or at work, if needed). I love those weeks. I know what I need to do, when, etc. It’s so helpful when work things pop up last-minute or unplanned after-daycare doctor visits (my pediatrician should have a frequent-flyer coupon card for free coffee after 10 visits or something… I”m just saying…).

Sometimes I’m not so fabulously organized. And these are the weeks that are (1) most common and (2) the MOST stressful for me.

Like this week. Unplanned, but at least there is food in the fridge. These are the days that my husband finds to be the easiest. Seriously, in 3 minutes flat he can make a meal plan and get it started. Me? OMGosh – I have to know what’s in the fridge for the WHOLE day before I can even begin to figure something out.

Take today, for example. I know there is ground turkey at home. I can make lettuce wraps or tacos or chili (oh wait… I don’t have any beans on hand) … k then… I could make meatballs with rice (no pasta either), or. Dang it. I don’t know. When my feet hit the kitchen, I will decide then.

More than just meal planning, however, is saving money. Cheap Gluten Free Eats! (Yes, they do exist.)

Here’s the list I’ve been working with this last month. You can see I’m in need of some change-ups, people. One can only eat so many apples with peanut butter before you just don’t want to even look at them again. So please. Let’s work together on this.

PS. Making your own gluten free corn tortillas is SUPER easy (and much tastier, by the way). Use equal parts corn flour (masa harina or masa harina para tortillas) and warm water. You can also add a bit of olive oil or spices to your dough, if you’d like. (I added paprika and chili powder in the ones in the photo.) Mix the corn flour with the warm water slowly until it forms a soft pliable ball. Pinch off pieces and flatten in your hand to make tortillas (or thicker ones for sopes). Cook on a hot, non-stick skillet.